Sleep Quality and Healthy Lifestyle Beliefs in Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Screen Exposure

TL;DR

This study shows that more screen time in adolescents worsens sleep quality and healthy lifestyle beliefs, suggesting the need to reduce screen exposure for better health.

Contribution

The novel finding is that screen exposure mediates the relationship between sleep quality and healthy lifestyle beliefs in adolescents.

Findings

Increased screen exposure decreases sleep quality in adolescents.

Higher screen exposure is linked to poorer healthy lifestyle beliefs.

Screen exposure partially mediates the relationship between sleep quality and healthy lifestyle beliefs.

Abstract

Increased screen exposure among adolescents leads to short‐ or long‐term health problems. This study aimed to examine the mediating role of screen exposure in the relationship between sleep quality and healthy lifestyle among adolescents.

This cross‐sectional and correlational study was conducted between February and May 2025 in a province in the Black Sea region of Turkey with 700 adolescents attending two high schools affiliated with the Provincial Directorate of National Education. Data were collected using the Descriptive Characteristics Form, the Richard–Campbell Sleep Questionnaire, the Adolescent Healthy Lifestyle Belief Scale, and the Screen Exposure of Adolescents (ESEA) Scale. Descriptive, Pearson correlation, regression, and mediation analyses were performed on the data.

Participants' screen exposure levels and healthy lifestyle beliefs were found to be moderate, while their sleep quality was good. Bootstrapping results revealed that screen exposure in adolescents led to a decrease in sleep quality (β = −0.091; p < 0.05). Increased screen exposure worsened healthy lifestyle beliefs (β = −0.327; p < 0.05). Sleep quality did not significantly affect healthy lifestyle beliefs (β = 0.061; p = 0.076). The study revealed that screen exposure played a mediating role in the relationship between sleep quality and healthy lifestyle (β = 0.030; 95% CI [0.008: 0.053]).

It has been concluded that increased screen exposure affects sleep quality and beliefs about healthy lifestyles in adolescents. To improve sleep quality and healthy lifestyle beliefs among adolescents, it is necessary to reduce their screen exposure levels. Planning and implementing nursing interventions for this purpose is extremely important in terms of protecting and improving adolescent health.

Screen exposure is becoming an increasingly significant problem among adolescents. Adolescents should devote more time to activities that support a healthy lifestyle. It has been demonstrated that screen exposure in this population significantly affects sleep quality and healthy lifestyle behaviors.

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